


Dances with Penguins

by Pennywiser135



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Angst, Dancing, First Time, Fluff, Gotham, Jealousy, M/M, Nygmobblepot, Riddler - Freeform, Season 2, Smut, lil bit of everything, penguin - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-03-03
Packaged: 2021-02-23 00:47:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23003065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pennywiser135/pseuds/Pennywiser135
Summary: A collection of short stories about the time Oswald spent at Ed's apartment in season 2. It's mostly fluff, but chapter 3 and 5 are smut. You can read them separately if u want. :)
Relationships: Edward nygma/Oswald cobblepot, Oswald Cobblepot/Edward Nygma
Comments: 9
Kudos: 71





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this quite a while ago, so it's not really at the same standard as more recent stuff. But I think it's still pretty cute, and thought I would post it just in case someone likes it <3 hope you enjoy.

Oswald laid down in Ed's bed, just staring up at the ceiling. He was listening to a record that Ed had put on for him. 

A few days ago he'd mentioned that he had always loved Louis Armstrong, and today, he woke up to the sound of the metal door slamming shut and as Ed walked in he'd said "Guess what I bought for you?". 

Before Oswald could guess anything, though he wouldn't have had any idea anyway, Ed held up the record and wiggled it in his hand, smiling all the while. Oswald had smiled back at him, dumbfounded once again by how thoughtful his new friend was. 

The record had been playing for about a half an hour. Ed had put it on just after lunch. Oswald would have only known it was lunch, though, because Ed had told him he'd slept through breakfast again. His sleeping schedule had been way off the last couple of days, and he'd completely lost track of time. 

He looked over at Ed, rolling over on his side. He was hunched over his desk, working on something for the GCPD. Oswald had listened to him rambling on about a current case Ed found highly interesting, but he couldn't be bothered to remember what it was. 

Oswald smiled as Ed softly hummed along to the music wafting from the record player. They often sang together, but it wasn't hard to admit that Ed was the superior singer between them. Oswald loved it when Ed sang, it always felt like all his troubles were floating far away from him. 

As he looked at Ed, letting his thoughts carry him somewhere entirely different, the music stopped, jolting Oswald back to reality. The next song started playing and Oswald sighed. It was 'La vie en rose'.

"I adore this song." He said contently. 

Ed looked around at him smilingly. Completely unbothered by being distracted from his work, which was usually the case when he was concentrated. "Why's that?" 

"My mother and I used to dance to this when I was young." Though smiled at the fond memory, he fought back tears as he thought of Gertrud. It seemed impossible for him to escape from her.

Ed noticed immediately how Oswald was feeling and got to his feet. He walked over to the bed, held out an inviting hand and said "Shall we?"

Oswald looked up at Ed for a while and then laughed. "You're serious?" He couldn't help but feel like this was a joke.

"Deadly serious." Ed replied, wiggling his eyebrows at the man lying in his bed.

With a laughing sigh, as if to say "If you insist", he got out of bed. Though he was secretly grateful for Ed trying to lift his spirits. 

He took another step and stood in front of Ed. Only realising as he did so, how dangerously close he was. He took Ed's hand, and was lead out to the middle of the room. 

Oswald put his left hand on Ed's shoulder, while the taller man put his right hand on Oswald's waist. Then they locked eyes as they clasped their remaining hands together in the air next to them.

He knew how to dance, of course. His mother had taught him when he was very young. She'd raised him like a respectable gentleman. Which always made him feel worse when he did something that would disappoint her. 

But ever since his injury, he hadn't been able to keep up dancing for longer than a couple of minutes. It was embarrassing.

It seemed, however, that Ed was no dancer extraordinaire. So their movements were very simple, for which Oswald was grateful.

They stepped from left to right and forward and back again. Occasionally breaking out into flustered laughter. Never breaking eye contact. Ed could look into those bright eyes for the rest of his life and never wish to look away. 

"And when you speak,  
angels sing from above.  
Everyday words seem,  
to turn into love songs"

As the trumpet picked up, Ed let go of Oswald's waist and lifted his other hand up, making it clear he intended for Oswald to spin. They both chuckled as he did so. He turned on the spot three times, and though he continued to laugh, he winced as his old injury seared with pain. 

Ed instantly looked worried. "Is your foot hurting again? I'm sorry, I didn't think about it. How stupi-" 

Oswald shushed him. "Stop rambling! It's fine. It's no matter. I'm used to it by now." He smiled reassuringly.

Ed grinned back and his eyes softened again. "Fine, indeed. We just have to take it slow." He said as he smoothly pulled Oswald back into their earlier position.

Taken aback by the change in attitude, Oswald was easily moulded back into place. He was also astounded to find himself blushing at the tone in Ed's voice, and their sudden closeness.

The song had changed by now, but that wasn't going to stop them. The pretence of dancing to make Oswald remember old times had gone. They now both accepted that they just wanted the opportunity to get close to each other.

Their stance was much more relaxed now, as a smooth and slow tune filled the apartment. Ed's right hand back on Oswald's waist, his left hand holding the other's loosely, resting at their side. 

He pulled the shorter man in closer, chests pressing on each other comfortably. Oswald breathed in shakily, surprised at Ed's unabashed move at romance. But after no time at all, Oswald melted into him, resting his head on Ed' chest.

They swayed there for who knows how long. Just enjoying each others warmth, the way they smelled and the way they seemed to fit so perfectly together. 

Moving along to the slow sounds of the record playing itself out on the desk, where the GCPD case files lay forgotten.

\--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---


	2. Intruder

They were sitting next to each other on the edge of the bed. Both with a glass of wine in hand, talking about anything that sprang to mind. It had been a couple of days now, since Ed had first brought Oswald here and he'd completely settled in. 

He knew he'd have to leave sooner or later to go after Galavan, he had no other choice. But he also knew he was going to miss this dearly. Just being with Ed all day, being surrounded by the smell of him, having Ed's precious laughter all to himself in the tiny apartment, it made him feel like he could spend his whole life here. Forget about everything else and just be happy. 

The small TV was on in the other side of the room. The news lady speaking almost incoherently behind them. Then, as if on cue, a picture of Galavan sprung up on the screen and the newsreader explained some new and insignificant fact about him.

Oswald's head spun around so fast, it was a miracle he didn't sprain it. Ed sighed as he realised what was going on.

"Of course! What else could they possibly be talking about? Who else could possibly matter?" Oswald spat at the smiling picture of the mayor on the TV.

"Oswald, calm down." Ed said, placing his hands on the smaller man's shoulders, trying to steady him. For Oswald had started to shake alarmingly. 

"You'll spill your wine!" Ed warned. He couldn't quite conceal the smile that crept on his face, however. He found it rather endearing when Oswald got all riled up.

He put Oswald's chin in his hand and turned his head. Looking right into those icy eyes, he said determinedly 

"Oswald, you will get every chance to have your revenge on Galavan later. You are going to get all the time you need to torture him, and you are going to be the one to kill him. Know that. There's no use wasting energy on him now."

Oswald breathed out and closed his eyes, calming himself down. "You're right, of course." He laughed breathily and shook his hands, letting go of the sudden anger, as Ed grabbed the remote and turned off the TV.

From then on they returned to talking comfortably, occasionally sipping wine and enjoying the sound of each others voices. But it seemed that once the subject of Galavan had come up, Oswald was incapable of letting it go.

Resined to the fact that he was going to have to talk about the mayor, Ed asked Oswald about his plans for the murder. They had talked about this many times before, but Oswald never grew tired of explaining it. His eyes lit up fiercely every time he mentioned beating Galavan to death, and Ed loved seeing that fire in Oswald.

"Ed! Ed, are you listening to me? Why are you smiling?"

He snapped out of his revelry. Ed hadn't realized that he'd been smiling, though it was no surprise. How could you not smile with the masterpiece that is Oswald Cobblepot in front of you?

"You're so beautiful when you're plotting murder." The bizarre statement was out of his mouth before he could think about it. He could have said 'when you're focused' or 'determined' or literally anything else.

Embarrassed, he looked down at their entangled legs. Ed couldn't help but laugh at himself and said "Sorry. It just sort of slipped out."

He looked up at Oswald, and to his amazement, there was a slow but steady blush creeping onto his face. Turning him beet-red. 

"Not to worry, Ed. I like it when you call me beautiful." Oswald was surprised at his own daring. 

He moved himself closer to Ed, so that they were sitting right up against each other. Oswald wasn't the only one blushing now. The soft look in Ed's eyes made him melt, as it had so many times before.

They leaned in simultaneously, Oswald making sure to move his head enough so that Ed's glasses wouldn't hit him in the eye. Their lips touched and both of them melted into the kiss immediately.

It was natural for them by now. Oswald's hands slowly finding their way up to Ed's collar, while Ed's hands had found their usual place, cradling Oswald's neck on both sides.

Even though they'd kissed before, every time it happened Oswald still felt his stomach lift and his head spin like it was the first time. 

Then, all of a sudden there was a knock on the door.

In shock, Oswald and Ed separated instantaneously, turning around to look at the door. "Oh, crud." Ed breathed out, panic flaring up behind his eyes.

He stood up from the bed as Oswald hissed "Who could that be?" Ed shook his head hastily and ushered Oswald to get up off of the bed as well.

"Hurry up! In the closet." Edward whispered frantically. Another knock on the door. The sound clanged mechanically around the room. 

He ran after Oswald as he hobbled over to the corner of the room, and Ed closed the door behind him. The same door he'd closed on Mr. Leonard, only a few days earlier.

"Ed?" A voice came from behind the closed apartment door. He looked around, bewildered. 

"Ms. Thompkins? Yes, I'm coming. Just hold on a second!" He shouted as he opened the closet door again, looked at Oswald and placed a finger on his lips, making sure that he'd keep completely quiet.

He ran back to the door, rearranged his face into a calm smile, and finally opened the door. "Hello Ms. Thompkins. How can I help you?" 

"Hi, Ed. Ehm, are you okay? I heard noises." Lee said worriedly as she looked up at the man in the doorway.

"Everything is fine, Ms. Thompkins. I just had to put on some decent clothes. I'm afraid I was still in my pyjamas." He smiled, trying to look reassuring, but it ended up looking mechanical. 

"I see. And please, Ed, call me Lee." She said kindly. Ed had always appreciated Lee very much. As a matter of fact, she was probably the kindest person he'd ever met. At the very least, she was his best friend at the GCPD. 

"Lee. What can I do for you?" He said, his smile now looking a bit more natural.

"I just wanted to check up on you. I've been worried about you ever since Kristen left, and then yesterday you didn't show up for work. I was afraid that something was wrong. I mean, you must be devastated." It amazed Ed how deeply Lee cared about everyone in her life.

"That's very kind of you, Lee. As a matter of fact I felt very sick yesterday, which is why I didn't show up. I realize now that, considering recent events, I should have informed you I wouldn't be there. My apologies." Ed explained. Not really wishing to get onto the subject of Kristen Kringle. 

Lee nodded in understanding and said "That's fine, Ed. I should have known it was something else. But, are you not upset anymore? You can talk to me, Ed." She put a hand on his shoulder, smiling encouragingly.

Ed realized he was going to have to try to fake it again. He tried but failed to muster tears, so he hung his head and massaged his brow so as to cover up those non-existent tears. 

Making his voice break as much as he could, he said "I- yes, of course I am. I'm just trying to focus on work. Keep my mind off of her. I just- I can't believe she did that to me. Left me like that." 

He made his shoulders shake, trying to sell the act even more.  
"Oh, Ed. I'm so sorry for you! I don't get it either. And I miss her too. Though I know it's not even close to what you're going through. You cared about her so much." 

Lee had evidently believed Ed's charades, and she flung her arms around Ed. She rubbed his back consolingly and spoke words of comfort. Unoriginal, Ed noted, but appreciated all the same.

From the closet, Oswald listened hungrily. His stomach felt very heavy again, and he felt his fists clench, nails digging into his palms. Jealousy clouding his brain. Who was this Lee? Who did she think she was? He couldn't help but scoff in annoyance. But then immediately covered his mouth with his hand in instant regret, realising how loud it had been.

Ed's face fell as he heard soft sounds coming from the closet. Lee had obviously heard them too, for she let go of Ed and asked "Is there someone else here?" She looked past Ed into the apartment, frowning.

"No. There isn't. Something must have fallen. I'll go see what it was." Ed replied hastily.

Lee didn't seem too convinced this time around. "Really? It sounded lik-" 

Ed held up his hands and said "I assure you, Ms. Thompkins. There is nobody in my apartment. And I'm actually supposed to be somewhere in a half an hour, so I would appreciate it if you left now." He flinched at the harshness in his voice.

Lee was perturbed by it too, it seemed. She looked offended as she said "Wow. I'm here to help you, Ed." He nodded and took a deep breath. His best shot was to blame his behaviour on being emotional. 

"You're right. I'm very sorry. I'm just going through a lot, as you said. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I do appreciate you coming here. You're always very thoughtful." He smiled, trying to redeem himself.

"That's fine, Ed. I'm here for you whenever you need me. But I can tell that now is not a good time. I'll leave you be." She patted him on she shoulder kindly, and waved as she walked away.

"See you at work, Lee!" He called after her halfheartedly. Then mumbled to himself "finally", as he closed the door and walked back to the closet on the other side of the room. 

He opened it and let Oswald out, who walked over to the table, breathing heavily. Ed could only assume that he was angry about something. Though he felt he was the one with the right to be annoyed. 

As Oswald leaned down on one of the chairs at the table, by clutching his hands on the backrest, Ed finally talked.

"I thought I told you to be quiet. Can't you follow even those simple instructions? What was all that about? What if she'd walked in and found you?" He questioned, irritated. 

Oswald glared at him. He found Ed's words to be unnecessarily harsh. "Well, I'm sorry!" He snapped at Ed.

"You're clearly not." Ed replied, rolling his eyes.

Oswald pursed his lips and said "Well she didn't walk in, did she? It's just- I- who is she? Why is she so nice to you? And why you to her?" His voice had turned desperate as he questioned Ed, whose annoyance washed away almost completely.

Now that Ed knew what was going on, there was no way for him to stay mad at Oswald, if he ever really was to begin with. 

"She's Lee Thompkins. She works with me at the GCPD, as the medical examiner. And she's nice to me because she's nice to everyone. And I'm nice to her, because she's the only real friend I've got at work." He explained in a calm and steady voice.

Rather than looking relieved however, Oswald looked mortified. He let out a, surely involuntary, emotional squeak right before he spoke. A highly adorable sound that made Ed smile, despite of himself.

"So you like her then?" Oswald demanded. His eyes searched Ed's frantically, looking for the answer before Ed could give it.

"Yes, I like her. She's kind and she's intelligent. I like Lee, but I love you, Oswald." Ed explained, never breaking eye contact. He held in his breath after those last four words, waiting for a reaction. 

Oswald looked thunderstruck. He let go of the chair and walked over to Ed. He grabbed the front of the taller mans sweater in his fists. "You love me?" Oswald asked breathlessly, as if he too, was holding in his breath. 

Ed grabbed the back of his little bird's head and stared so deep into his eyes that he was afraid he might drown. "Yes. I am in love with you, Oswald."

Shaky, elated, euphoric laughter erupted out of Oswald's mouth as his eyes filled with tears and he clutched at Ed's clothes even tighter. And, barely understandable through the sobs and the laughter, came the words "I love you too, Ed."

And after that, Ed could breath freely again, joining into Oswald's laughter as he pulled him into a tight hug. A hug in which they seemed to turn into one. They were no longer two separates, they were two halves of a whole. 

After a while they moved back slightly, only so that their lips could meet for the second, and nowhere close to last time that day.

\--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---


	3. Shift

Oswald had been fidgeting all through dinner. 

He'd woken up in Ed's bed not long ago. Opening his eyes, he'd grimaced, feeling the stickiness in his pants and on the sheets around him. 

As the day had gone on, the dream he'd had the night before came back to him bit by bit. Panting, moaning, his blood coursing hotly through his whole body. There had been a voice grunting his name. Ed's voice, of course. He'd recognize that voice anytime.

But then, he'd started to panic. What if he'd been saying Ed's name out loud? They were close, but they hadn't had sex yet, and moaning someone's name at night while the person themselves was only a couple of inches away, was extremely embarrassing. 

Oswald watched Ed at the other side of the table. Trying to make casual conversation, or at least occasionally agreeing and laughing at whatever Ed was saying. He found it excruciatingly hard however, with the subject of his wet dreams in front of him.

He couldn't sit still. He felt heat travelling down his body again. His eyes traced Ed's fast-moving lips as he talked, and he felt his blood pumping in his head. Something would have to be done, Oswald knew that. But how would he bring it up? He had no real experience, and he didn't want to embarrass himself.

After dinner Ed stood up and started picking up the dishes, bringing them over to the sink. By this point Oswald's ears were ringing so loudly, he hadn't even noticed Ed was talking to him.

"Oswald? Are you okay?" Ed seemed concerned now. He walked from the small kitchen over to Oswald, standing behind him. "Hey Oswald! Hey, you alright, honey?" He rubbed Oswald's arm comfortingly and kissed him on the side of his head. 

That was it. Oswald couldn't take it anymore. To hell with embarrassment, he decided on the spot. 

"No, Ed. I'm not alright." He turned his head up to look Ed in the eyes fiercely. Frowning as he did so, Ed walked over to the bed and sat down. He looked at Oswald and gestured for him to explain. When he failed to elaborate, ed said "Well, Oswald? What's wrong?"

Oswald sighed and threw caution to the wind. "I want you to fuck me, Ed." 

A silence fell. One that was certain to make Oswald regret his statement, if it had gone on any longer.

"What?" Ed breathed out. It was about all he could muster. He couldn't quite believe what he was hearing.

"Ed, we have been close for a while now. I've told you I love you, you've done the same. And yet, nothing. I've been having dreams, Ed. I'm surprised you haven't noticed. And I can't take it anymore. I need you, now."

As he had predicted, Ed started spluttering flustered nonsense. He could be quite dominant, and yet when it came to romance, Ed was usually hopeless.

To stop the cluster of words still streaming out of Ed's mouth, Oswald stood up, walked over to Ed and pushed him down on the bed. He fell silent immediately as Oswald climbed on top of him, straddling his hips.

He leaned in close to Ed's face, grabbing his shirt collar and pulling him up to meet his lips halfway. 

To Oswald's surprise, Ed leaned into the kiss instantaneously. He ran his hand through Oswald's hair, and grabbed a fist full in the back, using that to deepen the kiss passionately.

Their moans melted together as rain started pattering on the windows. Everything was so new, so hot, their hands roaming all over each others bodies and clawing at clothes as their pants grew steadily tighter.

Oswald needed more friction. He grinded down on Ed, who gasped shakily. With one last sloppy kiss on Oswald's neck, he turned his attention his pants, unbuttoned and unzipped them as Oswald eagerly started fumbling with Ed's pants too, trying to speed up the process.

After what seemed like forever, Ed's pants were loosely hanging around his knees. He looked down and wondered why the hell Oswald's were still up. This time however, it was easy. The purple pajama pants slid off within seconds.

Oswald frantically tugged at the pants still stretched around his ankles, and tossed them to the other side of the room as Ed kicked his own pants onto the floor as well. They regained eye contact, laughing giddily at their situation.

Once the pants were off, there was no point for any of their other clothes to still be in the way. 

Reluctantly, they moved away from each other, so as to rip off their remaining clothing. The pile of laundry on the floor grew larger and larger, until all they had on was underwear.

Ogling each others bodies, they moved unbelievably close once again. Oswald sighed at the return of Ed's heat on his skin. They continued to kiss, growing more feverish by the second. Everything was a blur of sensations, skin on skin, hands roaming everywhere.

Oswald's hand trailed down Ed's stomach, making him shiver appreciatively. He closed his eyes, anticipating what was about to happen. And as Oswald started palming Ed's bulge through the thin fabric of his underwear, his eyes closed with a shaky grunt, leaning his head on Oswald's shoulder and occasionally planting kisses on the hot skin.

Oswald moved suddenly, causing Ed to almost fall over. Steadying himself, he gasped as he realised what Oswald was about to do. 

Once Oswald was sitting down in front of Ed, he gently pushed down his underwear, and his eyes popped as Ed's partly erect member sprung out at him.

Ed grinned at the look of shock and awe on Oswald's face. He reached down cupped the thunderstruck face, leaning down to kiss the top of Oswald's head. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked, a hint of self-consciousness in his voice. 

"Ed, I've never been more sure about anything in my life." Oswald replied adamantly. He reached out a shaky hand, and slowly gripped the base of Ed's cock. As Oswald gently moved his hand up and down the shaft, Ed let his head fall forward moaning Oswald's name lazily. 

The rain was now pouring down, blurring the view from the large window next to them. All of a sudden, Oswald moved his face really close, breathing shakily. The hot air on his dick made Ed shudder and gasp, longing for Oswald to quit messing around and go for it already. 

His wish was granted almost immediately. Oswald looked up at Ed with lust filled eyes, and kissed his tip wetly. Ed's mouth opened in a silent moan as Oswald started to lick lines all the way up his cock. 

Ed grabbed Oswald by the hair, encouraging him to go on. Which he did, now putting his lips all the way around the member, tracing circles with his tongue.  
Ed couldn't keep silent at that, even if he'd wanted to. Breathing heavily, he occasionally let out strangled moans, his voice cracking as he did so.

Oswald started bobbing his head up and down, going a little bit lower every time, coating Ed's dick in spit. He resumed the pumping of his hand, and coordinated that with his mouth, driving Ed insane. He grunted loudly and put his other hand on Oswald's head as well, pushing down and pulling back almost too forcefully.

Oswald started gagging and tears ran down his face, but through all that, Ed could hear him moaning, so he knew he wasn't going too far. Oswald liked it rough. Just the thought of that was bound to send him over the edge, so he pulled Oswald off of his dick by the hair, up to his face and kissed him deeply.

"You're amazing at that." He breathed out with an incredulous laugh.

"You make it easy." Oswald replied, seductively, though ruining it slightly by laughing too.

"Your turn." Ed stated with a crooked smile. He grabbed Oswald by the shoulders and pushed him down on his back. He planted one quick kiss on Oswald's lips and then moved down, smiling up at him. He swiftly slid off the underwear separating him from his target, Oswald breathing heavily all the while.

As Oswald's pink dick sprung up in the air, Ed's smile faltered slightly in amazement. 

"Wow. Beautiful." He said, looking up and taking in all of his little bird.

Oswald shook his head dismissively, looking embarrassed. Ed grabbed him by the wrist and reassured him "I'm serious, Oswald. You're gorgeous. Truly." Which earned him a sincere smile, Oswald's eyes welling up with tears again.

Much less hesitantly, Ed grabbed hold of Oswald's dick, and started moving up and down the shaft devastatingly slow. Oswald was already dripping with precum, making Ed's hand slick as he worked on Oswald, continuing to torture him by never picking up speed.

Oswald let out chocked curses and endless variations of Ed's name, his extremities jerking and twitching, yearning for Ed to go faster but he knew he was not to interfere. 

Oswald clutched at the sheets next to him, moaning louder every second. He could barely hear it himself. His blood pumping in his ears too loudly and his head too full of stars to notice much of anything else.

Suddenly Ed stopped, and Oswald whined in disappointment at the sudden cold. Ed used his slicked up hand to, without warning, press a finger onto Oswald's hole and slowly push in. 

Oswald gasped loudly in shock and in pleasure. As Edward slowly stretched him, Oswald became more and more impatient. All he wanted was for Ed to fuck him, but it seemed he did not think Oswald was ready yet. His moans and gasps were more pained by the second, as his need for Ed grew to an ungodly high.

He decided enough was enough. It was time for action. He needed something, and if Ed wasn't going to give it to him, he'd get it himself.

So Oswald pushed Ed off of him, and for a split second he looked confused, wondering what he had done wrong. But it soon became clear to him that that was not the case. 

Oswald swung Ed around so that he was now lying on his back. Then he pulled himself on top of him, a leg either side of his waist.

Ed couldn't conceal his shock and his arousal at Oswald's sudden course of action. He gasped at how fast everything had happened and laughed in spite of himself.

"My, my, Oswald. What a pleasant surprise." He said breathlessly, as if Oswald had just come by the apartment for an unexpected visit. 

Oswald smiled in satisfaction at his victory. He then, with no further ado, reached behind him and pumped Ed's cock a few times, before positioning it against his hole. And all the while keeping fierce eye contact with Ed, he moved down onto his cock all the way to the base. 

His eyes sprung wide open and he moaned loudly. This was so much better than any kind of dildo he'd used. It was real, and hot, and alive. They both breathed heavily as they got used to this new and incredible sensation. Oswald put his hands on Ed's chest to stabilise himself, and Ed grabbed on to his wrists. 

They sat there holding each other and looking into each others eyes for what might've been quite a long time. Then Ed reached up and put his hand on the back of Oswald's neck, pulling him down for a tender kiss.

Separating slightly, they put their foreheads together and Ed asked "You ready, Oswald?"

In response, he simply nodded once, barely moving his head. But to Ed it was crystal clear, his head being all but connected to Oswald's. 

He breathed out slowly, preparing himself. Then Oswald started moving up, almost all the way out, and then moved back down completely, making both of them moan loudly. Ed grabbed hold of Oswald's waist as he went up and back down again, continuing to moan ever so beautifully.

As Oswald picked up the pace, he threw his head back and Ed couldn't keep his eyes off of him. The rain was now so loud, it sounded almost like gunshots on the window. And yet, Oswald's moans came over the top of all of it. So loud, Ed was sure the whole apartment building could hear him.

But then something strange started happening. Ed's grunts and moans were disturbed, his voice breaking and changing. Oswald noticed and looked down. He knew what was going on. A darker side of Ed was spilling out of the seams of his carefully held together polite personality. Oswald could see it in his eyes.

And then, with a particularly loud grunt, it happened. His eyes glinted with darkness, hunger, lust, and with dominance. When he spoke, his voice was deeper, more guttural. It made Oswald's whole body shiver uncontrollably in excitement. 

"Well this won't do, will it?" A sinister grin spread across his face as he looked up at Oswald.

His grip on Oswald's waist hardened as he flipped him around in one smooth motion, turning with him, so as to stay inside Oswald the whole time.

Ed was now hovering over him like a beast of prey. He put his hands either side of Oswald's head, who was so in shock about everything that had just happened, he couldn't say anything. He just stared at Ed, wide-eyed. 

Ed then leaned down and kissed Oswald like he'd never done before. It was so fierce and filled with lust and passion, Oswald was afraid he might catch on fire. Ed bit down on Oswald's bottom lip and he moaned loudly in response, before Ed thrusted into him with tremendous force. 

Oswald screamed in pleasure, his vision turning white. He lifted his legs up and locked them around Ed, hoping for even deeper penetration this way, the pain in his foot not even bothering him. 

Then Ed thrusted again, just as forcefully as before. And Oswald's theory about deeper penetration was confirmed. He screamed again, and Ed laughed maniacally, reveling at Oswald's reactions. He moved again, not pausing so long anymore, slamming into Oswald at a considerable pace.

If possible, it seamed that they'd become even louder than before. Ed thought he would probably be getting noise complaints the next day, but he'd worry about that later. 

Ed grunted and groaned loudly, like a wild animal. And Oswald moaned and screamed, tears running down his face again and his mouth drooling onto the sheets.

Ed bent down, and Oswald, expecting a kiss, tilted his head. But Ed moved his head lower and started kissing Oswald's neck. He planted kisses from his jaw down to his collarbone, and traced a line back up with his tongue. Oswald closed his eyes, moaning through his lips. Then he gasped, as he felt Ed's teeth on his neck, biting down on his skin in between kisses.

Just as Oswald felt that he might melt under the touch Edward's tongue, it stopped, and their mouths connected once more as Ed picked up the pace one final time. Oswald moaned Ed's name innumerable times as Ed himself gritted his teeth, both of them climbing to new and unrivalled highs.

They shuddered violently in unison, incredible pleasure coursing through their veins. The heat between them grew so intense, it felt like they might burn each other. Then their eyes sprung wide open as stars flew across their vision. Oswald suddenly cried out as he came all over his stomach, and only seconds later, Ed emptied himself inside of Oswald. They seemed to melt into one being as they reached the top. 

They stayed there for a few seconds, and then plummeted down again, sight slowly coming back to them. Both of them panted loudly, and Ed moved off of Oswald, rolled over and layed down next to him. 

They were a complete mess, and so was the bed. Covered in sweat and semen, their bodies were sticky and in need of a wash. They'd have to take a shower tomorrow, but for now they were far too exhausted. And when they do take a shower, Oswald would look in the mirror and see the quickly darkening bruises on his neck. But that was for later.

After a while, Oswald turned over and snuggled up to Ed's chest and said "Thank you, Ed. That was incredible." 

Ed slung his arm around Oswald and kissed his temple. "It was, wasn't it." Oswald could hear the smile in Ed's voice, and smiled into his chest in return. 

They fell asleep almost instantly.

\--- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- --


	4. Goodbyes

Sunlight streamed in from the open window and onto Oswald's closed eyelids. His brow furrowed as he opened his eyes, lashes fluttering. He felt Ed's arm slung over his waist, and gentle breathing on his neck. He didn't remember ever being more comfortable.

For a few moments, he let himself feel nothing but peace, warmth and safety. But then reality dawned on him, and his good mood left him almost instantly.

Today was the last day he would spend at Ed's apartment, for he didn't know how long. Later in the day he was meeting with Jim and the others to get organized, and after that, he was leaving to finally get his revenge on Galavan. 

Even though he was excited to kill him after all this time, Oswald couldn't get himself to feel happy. He would be away from Ed for the first time in weeks. And if things went badly, he might never see Ed again. Oswald didn't want to admit it, but he had grown far too attached to his flatmate. 

Ed stirred behind him and raised his hand up to his face to rub his eyes. Oswald turned around to look at him. He always liked seeing Ed in the morning. His hair would be tousled all over the place, and he wouldn't stop yawning.

"Morning" Ed croaked. Oswald smiled at his voice. He always got like that in the mornings. Leaning forward, he kissed Ed's cheek in response. 

They looked at each other, and Oswald could see in his eyes that Ed was also remembering that this would be their last day together for quite a while. 

But just as quickly as Ed's smile faltered, it reappeared, and he intertwined their hands under the sheets. "Hey, I was thinking that I want to cook something special for you tonight."

"Oh yeah? What were you thinking?" Oswald replied. His coy act was quite ruined by the smile he was failing to wipe off of his face. He was still sad, but Ed just made him happy, no matter the circumstances. 

"Well, I've never made it before, but I wanted to try making goulash. That's your favourite food isn't it?" Ed rambled on about having to eat early, because of everyone who was coming in the evening.

Oswald waited for him to finish talking, still not being able to keep the stupid smile from his face. His cheeks were actually starting to hurt now.

"You're darling. Why do you live in Gotham?" He didn't give Ed time to answer though, leaning in to kiss him again. This time on the lips. Ed put his hand on Oswald's neck and kissed him back. It was soft and slow.

They both savoured every second of it, knowing this was one of the last kisses they would share for a long time. After about half a minute, they parted. 

All of a sudden, Ed sat up and jumped out of bed. "Alright! I need to take a shower, and then I'll go do the groceries for our goulash this evening." He smiled and raised his eyebrows at Oswald, then walked over to the bathroom.

Oswald heard the shower turn on. He stayed in bed for a while longer, as he thought about the night ahead. After a while Ed came out of the bathroom fully dressed, grabbed a bag from the table, kissed Oswald on the forehead and left, locking the door behind him.

He got up off the bed and limped to the bathroom as well. He stood over the sink, looking in the mirror. His hair, too, was a mess. Oswald sighed as he saw that his face was all puffy. This happened to him most mornings, when he's been sleeping for a long time.

He wondered how on earth Ed could've wanted to kiss him when he looked like this. Then he noticed that his jaw and neck were covered in bruises and love bites, from the last of their nocturnal escapades. 

He looked through the bathroom drawers for his concealer. He'd asked Ed to buy some for him, as it would always come in useful for him. This was the first time Oswald had used it to conceal hickeys, though. It always used to be remnants from beatings that he needed to cover up.

Once he had concealed all the visible bruises, he started the rest of his routine and picked out the clothes he wanted to wear for his revenge plot that night. 

It felt good to be back to normal. He hadn't gotten dressed up like this since the night Ed took him home. It made confidence rush back into him.

He looked around the room for something to do until ed returned. The apartment was not messy, but it could be neater, he decided. 

So Oswald cleaned the entire room until it was pristine. The mess was mostly his of course. Ed was probably the neatest person in America.

About an hour later, Ed walked in through the door. "Hi, Os." He locked the door again and looked back into the room. As he saw Oswald in all his glory, his mouth opened slightly in a loss for words. After a few seconds, he said fondly "Oswald, you look great." 

Oswald blushed and looked down, laughing bashfully. He never knew how to act when Ed complemented him. He muttered a small thank you, and Ed moved over to the kitchen to unpack the groceries. 

As Ed cooked and filled the apartment with warmth and wonderful smells, Oswald set the table for him and then sat down to just look at Ed. He wanted to memorize everything about him. Not just the way he looked, but the way he moved and the faces he pulled when he was concentrated, the clothes he liked to wear and the way he smelled. Just in case.

At around 5pm, Ed announced that he was finished, and set the dishes down on the table. "It looks really good, Ed." Oswald hadn't eaten anything all day, because he'd been rather preoccupied. He realized now, looking at the food, that he was quite hungry.

"Thank you. It probably won't be anything like how your mother use to make it, but I hope you like it anyway." Ed sat down opposite him, and waited until Oswald had served himself, before scooping some on his own plate. 

"So what wine have you picked out for us?" Ed asked. Oswald answered as they started eating. It was indeed nothing like his mother's goulash, but it tasted wonderful all the same.

They talked, ate and drank, making sure not to drink too much, so as to keep their wits about them for the night ahead. Oswald enjoyed himself, but there was a terrible sadness lurking just under the surface. He knew he would have to say goodbye once they finished eating. And that moment came much sooner than he would've wanted it too.

With their plates scraped clean, a heavy silence fell. Oswald stood up, and so did Ed. They met in the middle. Ed had stiffened, Oswald could tell he was uncomfortable. He grabbed Oswald's hands and rubbed his thumbs over the backs of the other's. He fumbled over his next words.

"Oswald. I- uh -I want you to know how much you mean to me." He sighed, looking at his feet for a moment, before remaking eye contact. "These last three weeks, have felt like a lifetime. And yet I wished we had so much longer." Ed spoke quickly, his voice breaking occasionally. 

"After Kristen, I promised myself this wouldn't happen again. At least not so soon. Yet here you are. Everything's happened so quickly, I had no control over it whatsoever. I-I mean, uh, over how I feel about you." He trailed of after that, looking Oswald in the eyes, as if begging him to say something, to understand.

Tears welled up in Oswald's eyes. How could he leave Ed behind after this? But he had to. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't go after Galavan. For his mother. He had to.

"Ed, I'm sure you know how I feel about you. And I know this won't be the last time we see each other, I'll make sure of it." He hesitated for a moment. Ed was watching him intently, holding on to his hands so tightly, it almost hurt. Then he continued.

"But just in case it is the last time, I need to tell you, when I still can." Oswald was hardly breathing. He had never done this before, and it was harder than he had expected it to be. It seemed Ed had stopped breathing as well.

"Ed, I love you."

They both let out the breath they'd been holding, in some sort of wonderful exhilaration. Ed grabbed him and hugged him, holding on tighter than he'd ever been held before. Oswald could feel the love radiating from him. But it was so different from when his mother used to hug him. It was so warm. It felt like electricity.

After what felt like an hour, Oswald let go. Not that he wanted to, but he just needed to kiss Ed right now. This wasn't soft. It was desperate, full of longing, making up for lost time.

Then came a knock on the door, the first of many. They stepped away from each other, feeling instantly colder.   
"I love you too" Ed whispered, so quietly it was almost unintelligible. 

Smiling back at him, Oswald walked away from Ed, away from safety, away from love. He sighed deeply, and opened the door.

\--- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- --


	5. Feathered

*Knock*  
*Knock*  
*Knock*  
*Knock*  
*Knock*

Ed stood up and walked over to the door. Who would come visit him, let alone this time of the day? He hardly ever had any guests. This was no surprise though, seeing as he had no family who would care to visit, and no friends. Except for Lee, perhaps.

He opened the sliding door, to reveal Oswald smiling up at him.  
"Hi!" Was all he said, with that adorable face. That damn face, he'd missed it so much.

"Penguin!" Ed laughed, completely dumbfounded. "Hi, hi." Oswald repeated himself. Ed felt like this should be awkward, but he was just so happy to see him, that it didn't even register. 

"Hi!" Ed didn't know what else to say. This was the last thing he had expected. He hadn't smiled this much and this genuinely, since his last day with Oswald.

"Sorry to intrude. I-I'm, um, a bit of a mess." It was only now that Ed managed to tear his eyes away from Oswald's, and realised that he was covered head to toe in feathers and tar. His smile faltered in confusion, as Oswald continued talking.

"I-I was just passing by and-and... May I, could I come in for a moment? These feathers aren't as warm as they look." The stuttering and smiling really did a number on Ed's head. It seemed as though Oswald got cuter every time Ed saw him. It was hardly fair.

Then he realised Oswald had just asked him a question. "Of course! Where are my manners?" He asked himself. Was this really all it took to dazzle him these days? 

As he stepped aside to let Oswald in, he said "It-it's so good to see you!" and he meant it. He had big plans for that day, but could rearrange everything if it meant he could be with Oswald. They needed to make up for all the time they'd been apart.

Ed closed the door again and Oswald took off his hat. "So how have you been, Ed? Well, I hope?" He asked. 

"Yeah. Well. I have been. Been busy. I've been really busy." Ed answered, leaning up against his bedpost, continuing to stare at Oswald. They were still both smiling. To an outsider it might have been unnerving.

"And what about you? I hear that you've been released." He crossed his arms as he spoke, looking Oswald up and down. He had to ask. "What-what's-what happened?" He gestured to Oswald's feathered clothes.

He looked down at his body and said "Oh, oh." laughing in between his words. "Well, just good ol' Butch and Tabitha having fun." 

Ed's face fell. Surely Oswald had to be joking. Although he had seemed slightly off. All chipper and happy. He was never like that, though Ed had wished it was just because of their reunion.

"They talked about killing me, so this was actually pretty nice of them, considering." Oswald added, looking at his sleeve and laughing again. 

Oh, no. He wasn't joking. Ed felt a lump in his throat, accompanied by sudden sadness. "Pretty nice of them?" He asked incredulously. 

"They did a pretty good job on you in Arkham, huh?" There was no excitement in his voice anymore. Yet Oswald was still smiling up at him, unaware of his disappointment. That smile was starting to disturb him.

Oswald nodded obliviously, and started speaking again, while Ed looked at him with dead eyes. "I'm here to tell you, Ed, as a friend, violence and anger are not the answer." He sounded so sincere, which made it even worse. 

Ed put his hands on his hips. He was starting to feel angry now. Not angry at Oswald, not really. Angry at the monsters who changed him. This was not the Oswald he knew, the one he fell in love with. He had waited for him, longed for him for so long. And now that he was here, he was a stranger. Ed wanted to scream in frustration, but tried to keep a straight face as Oswald continued.

"I am a changed man. Better. And you can change, too." Oswald looked at him hopefully, as if he were expecting Ed to suddenly decide to change his ways.   
"Cool." Ed forced out. But this new Oswald didn't recognize the coldness in his voice, and laughed, thinking he'd succeeded. 

Ed looked down. It was hard to keep looking in those eyes, at that face. It brought up too many feelings. "Tempting offer." He coughed, trying to conceal the lump in his throat. "The thing is, the me I am right now is kind of hitting my stride." He laughed, and so did Oswald, as he let out a small "oh".

So Os was happy for him, when he said he wouldn't change. Confusing. He supposed new Oswald would be happy for anyone if they were happy too. It was almost sickening.

Yet Ed couldn't help but smile when he said "And I'm really grateful for all that you've taught me." Oswald waved his hand in response, and looked at the floor as he smiled bashfully. Damn it. That was adorable.

"And all that bad stuff you told me about Jim Gordon is really paying off." Ed laughed in excitement about his plans for Jim. He wasn't actually sure if Oswald remembered telling him that, or anything. Though it seemed he did, because he laughed and, leaning in, he asked "is it?".

Ed wrung his hands excitedly as he answered. "It is. It's helped me to create the perfect puzzle to get rid of my Jim Gordon dilemma. Normally I would love to share, but to be honest, the new you is kind of freaking me out."

Oswald's face fell for the first time that visit. He actually looked upset. Did he not realize how strange he was acting? Despite how he felt about this new Oswald, he couldn't bear the sad look on his face. 

"I'm sorry. I know it's not your fault." Ed said quietly. He sighed. Oswald seemed slightly confused by this, but didn't say anything. Ed stepped a bit closer, and picked the feathers off of Oswald's face. When he was finished, he didn't step back again.

Then he said, equally quietly as before, "Do you remember everything?". The emotion dripped from his voice. Oswald didn't say anything for a while. He just looked at Ed, who thought he could almost see tears in Oswald's eyes. Just maybe. "I remember." He whispered finally. Ed let out a shaky breath, and Oswald put his hands on his chest, reassuring him. "Of course I remember."

Ed didn't know if it hurt more or less, knowing that his Oswald was still in there, buried underneath whoever this was. He thought about what they must have done to him at arkham, to change him this much, and anger bubbled up inside him again.

He grabbed either side of Oswald's head and kissed him slowly. Even his kiss felt foreign. It was all different. All wrong. Ed felt a tear run down his face as they kissed, and more followed. When they separated, both their faces were wet. Ed wiped them away with his arm. 

Screw it, he decided. He had waited all this time for Oswald to come back, and for what? This? No. No, he needed something to be like it used to be. So he walked around to stand behind Oswald, and pulled his coat off. As it fell to the floor, Oswald's head spun around fast to look at Ed.

"What-wait, what are you doing?" He stuttered. Ed walked back to stand in front of him and started unbuttoning the feathered shirt. "I think you know what I'm doing, Oswald." He answered, determinedly. 

Os didn't try to stop him. He just stared, taken aback. "Are you serious?" There was no attitude in his voice, though. It was a genuine question. Ed replied in a deeper voice, now feverishly taking off all of Oswald's clothes. "You may not be the same, but you're body is." 

And, indeed, there it was. Oswald stood in front of him, completely naked. Ed stared at him, hungrily. He was fairly skinny from his weeks at arkham, but he'd always been skinny. This felt right. This was as he remembered. 

Oswald crossed his arms and hunched his back in embarrassment. Ed payed no mind to his fidgeting.

There was one thing though. Ed noticed that Oswald's neck was completely free of bruises. That wouldn't do. There needed to be a mark that showed Oswald belonged to him. So Ed moved in close and tilted Oswald's head up, exposing his neck. He started sucking and biting all the way from his jaw to his chest.

Oswald relaxed slightly. He kept mostly quiet, though small moans and short breaths escaped his lips occasionally. Then Ed moved back up to Oswald's ear and growled the words "my little bird", as he bit the lobe. 

He heard Os inhale sharply, and let out a small laugh at hearing the familiar pet name. That seemed to melt away his awkwardness, because he moved his arms up to hold Ed's neck, and planted kisses all over any skin he could reach.

But as Ed felt Oswald try to move downwards, he grabbed his shoulder and stopped him. "No time. I want to feel you." He said hastily. That was partly true, but he also suspected it wouldn't be like it was before. If he kissed differently, he probably sucked differently, too. 

He ripped off his own clothes, and grabbed his lube out of a drawer. Then he pushed Oswald towards the bed and lifted him slightly, until his knees we on the edge of the bed. Ed then pushed his chest down into the sheets. 

Oswald just let everything happen to him. Ed wasn't sure if Os actually wanted this, or just didn't have the power to fight back, but he didn't care. He lifted Oswald's hips up in the air, the stood back to admire the view. His little bird, face down, ass up, on his bed. The sight made him hard.

Ed walked back to the bed and knelt down in front of Oswald's ass. He covered his fingers in lube and started stretching him, rimming him in the process. A smile crept across his face as he heard louder moans, muffled by his sheets. Oswald had always loved this, the feeling of Ed's tongue on his hole. 

With his other hand, Ed stroked lube onto his dick. And when Oswald's hole was stretched enough, he stood up, lined himself up and pushed in hard, without warning. 

Oswald grunted and breathed heavily, as Ed immediately began pounding into him. He clutched the sheets on either side of him. But Ed then grabbed his hands, and held them together with one hand behinds Oswald's back. 

With the other hand he kneaded Oswald's ass, occasionally hitting it. Every time he did that, Os would moan louder than ever. Some things never changed. Ed grunted and groaned with every thrust. This was just as good as he remembered it. Pure ecstasy. Their bodies seemed to be moulded for each other.

"You feel so good." He growled. Oswald turned his head to look at him. Ed could see in his eyes how much he loved this, and he pounded even faster. At this rate he wouldn't last long. 

Suddenly he pulled out. Oswald gasped and whined, but Ed pulled him up and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Get on my lap." He ordered. Oswald obeyed immediately, straddling him, and wasted no time sitting back on Ed's dick. 

He was reminded of their first time, when Oswald had done something just like this. A twinge of sadness stirred in his gut again, but as soon as it had appeared, it was gone. Because the sight in front of him was something he hadn't seen in a long time. He had to control himself, because he'd almost cum right then and there. 

Oswald was riding him, hands around Ed's shoulders, with the sexiest look on his face. Lips parted, eyelids heavy, dark lashes fluttering, skin flushed. Ed grabbed onto his hips tightly and continued staring at his beautiful little bird.

Oswald's head rolled back onto his shoulders, and he panted Ed's name over and over again. It was like a dream. Or as if Ed had travelled back in time. Back to those three blissful weeks he'd spent in heaven.

After a few moments, Oswald's head fell forwards and leaned on Ed's shoulder. He whimpered and shook, and then came all over both of them. That brought Ed even closer to the edge. He could tell Oswald was tired, so he lifted him off of his lap and onto his knees in front of him. 

He stroked his dick fast, pushing out his orgasm. Oswald looked up at him and opened his mouth expectantly. That did it. Ed shot his load into the open mouth, with some dripping down onto Oswald's chin. When he was done, he leaned back onto his arms, panting. He watched as Oswald swallowed, and wiped the rest of the cum from his chin.

They smiled at each other. Things felt right again. Ed moved his legs up to lie down on his bed, and he heard Oswald stand up and walk around the bed to lie down next to him. Ed reached over to his nightstand to grab some wipes, and cleaned Oswald's cum off their stomachs. 

Then he flopped back down, and closed his eyes. Os moved closer and rested his head down on Ed's chest. His heart felt warmer than it had in ages. But his eyes shot open when he remembered his plans for that day. He didn't want to go, but he knew he'd regret it if he didn't go. Jim needed to be dealt with.

He tapped Oswald on the shoulder to alert him, and then sat up and got off the bed. As he started getting dressed, Oswald asked "where are you going?". His voice sounded tired. "Big plans today. The ones I told you about, remember?" Ed replied, while pulling a sweater over his head. 

Oswald sat up slowly, looking at Ed. "Yeah, about that. Ed? You don't have to tell me what your plans are, but please, just don't hurt him. He's a good man. You know that. It wouldn't be right." He pleaded, though his voice remained calm and friendly. 

Ed closed his eyes. Just when things were looking up. "Damn it!" He yelled, slamming his fist on his desk. Oswald jumped in shock, and looked at him, affronted. "Damn you." Ed said, more quietly. He glared at Oswald for a few seconds, but realised he didn't have the time, nor energy to fight. 

Oswald hugged his legs up to his chest, concealing his body, all the while glaring back at him. The fact that Oswald was too unimpressed with him to let him see his body, didn't do much to lift his spirits. He ignored Oswald, angrily moving around the room and shoving items into his bag. 

"Fine" Oswald spat at him, getting up himself. "I have somewhere to be anyway." He grabbed his clothes and started getting dressed. This behaviour was so much like the real Oswald, it almost softened Ed's temper. But he knew it was happening because Os wanted to protect a good man. Jim Gordon of all people.

"Where on earth would you need to be?" Ed sneered. Oswald looked back at him. He already seemed more calm then a few moments ago. It just wasn't in him to stay angry anymore. "I'm going to the graveyard. To visit my mother." He answered. Ed didn't say anything. Even while mad at Os, he wouldn't insult his mother's memory. 

Though when he saw Oswald fully clothed, he laughed cruelly. "Might want to stop to get some new clothes, Penguin." The name had never been more fitting. Before, he'd thought the feathers looked kind of cute, but now, they just looked ridiculous.

"Fine!" Oswald said again. He walked past Ed and left through the door, slamming it shut loudly behind him. He sighed. Ed knew it was his fault. He'd gotten angry when he shouldn't have. He was still angry, but it did make him sad, to see Oswald leave him again. 

He checked the address for officer Pinkney's apartment one last time, and headed out the door himself.

\--- - --- - --- - --- - --- - --- - --- - --- - --- - --- - --- - --- - --- -


	6. Arkham

Thunder rumbled loudly in his ears. He shielded his eyes from the bright flashes of lightning, which were far too close for comfort. His shoes and socks were soaking wet, from the many large puddles he'd stepped in. This gloomy weather, perfectly fit the location he was so hesitant to visit.

As Oswald stood in front of the wrought iron gate, he gazed up at the towering stone walls of Arkham asylum. He didn't know if the architect had meant for it to look so intimidating, but if so, he'd succeeded. Though, again, the dark and stormy weather didn't help. He buzzed the button on the side of the gate, and looked up at the security camera.

Butterflies fluttered wildly in his stomach. He was nervous. Not only that, he felt dread. This would be the first time he'd seen Ed, since the fiasco after his own time at Arkham. Just remembering that made him cringe. He had been brainwashed, but he still felt bad for what he put Ed through. They ended on bad terms, but he didn't blame Ed for the fight at all. Had the roles been reversed, Oswald would've acted the same way.

The gate opened and he walked up to the large doors. Someone opened the door for him, and Oswald nodded at her as he walked in. Shivers ran down his spine when he looked around the room. He didn't think he'd ever go back to this place. The memories were still very sore. Memories of sadness, torture, and feeling so incredibly lost. 

Oswald swallowed, took a deep breath, and spotted the help desk. As she heard him approaching, the lady at the desk tucked her curly hair behind her ears, and looked up at him. Her eyes widened slightly and looked back at her computer. It seemed his reputation proceeded him. She wouldn't look back up at him until he actually knocked on the counter and said "Hi, there! My name is Oswald Cobblepot." 

There was a fake smile plastered on her face, though her eyes were still wide. "I know. I mean-yes, of course. How can I help you Mr.Cobblepot? Or, uh, Mr.Penguin? I'm so sorry, sir." As she stuttered, Oswald couldn't help but smile. He loved being respected, or feared. They were basically the same thing to him, anyway.

"I am here to visit Edward Nygma, one of the inmates here, as I'm sure you know." He told her, still smiling. She nodded and turned back to her computer, as she said "Of course, Mr. Cobblepot. I'll just tell one of our guards to go get him.". She typed something for a while, then stood up and walked around the desk. "Please follow me, sir." She seemed to be nervous to have her back turned to him, judging by how stiffly she walked. The woman lead him to a visitation room, pulled one of the chairs out for him, and told him that Ed would be out in about two minutes.

The moment she left the room, his shoulders hunched. His hands fidgeted under the table, he couldn't seem to control them. He felt like he might be sick. Would Ed blame him for what happened? Maybe he wouldn't even be happy to see Oswald. He looked down at his hands and let out a shaky breath. But then he heard footsteps approaching, and his head snapped up.

The door opened, and out came Ed dressed all in black and white stripes. A hulking guard shoved him into the room, said "Ten minutes" and left again, closing the door behind him. 

They stared at each other for only a few short moments. Ed's hair was messy and slightly curly, just as it looked in the morning. The uniform somehow made him look even taller than usual. It all suited him. He looked good. 

The look of shock on Ed's face cracked into a wide smile. "Oswald! It's really you! You have no idea how glad I am to see you." Relief washed over him at those words. Ed wasn't angry at him anymore. He stood up quickly and walked up to Ed. 

"Oh, I think I do. If it's anywhere near how happy I am to see you." He said with a small laugh. After almost a half a minute of smiling at each other, Ed put his arms around Oswald's waist, hugging him tightly. He was bent over quite a bit, tucking his head beside that of the shorter man. Oswald didn't waste any time to fling his arms around Ed's neck. To be held by him again was incredible.

That went on for what seemed like forever. When they separated, Oswald wanted to kiss him, but was reminded of the security camera in the corner of the room. Perhaps the hug would be enough, for now.

Both of them took a seat either side of the metal table. Ed started by saying "I am so happy you're back to normal. And I know I acted terribly towards you, you know, the last time we, uh, spoke." A blush crept on to both of their faces as they remembered that last encounter, and the thing's they'd done. He continued. 

"But it wasn't your fault, it was Strange's. I've had the pleasure of meeting him, as well." His voice sounded dull and extremely sarcastic as he talked about Strange. Oswald laughed, then grimaced at the thought. 

Ed folded his hands on the table, and leaned in. "How did you do it? Get back to normal, I mean." He asked. Oswald shrugged slightly as he considered this. "Someone killed my father. I killed her and her children. That woke me up."

Ed blinked in confusion as he listened. "Your father?" He asked. Oswald waved his hand, saying "A story for another time, I think." Ed nodded, though still very intrigued.

Suddenly Oswald's face turned serious, his lips pressed in a fine line. "Ed, I promise, I will get you out of here. I swear it on my mother." He reached out across the table and grabbed the other's hands. Ed smiled and squeezed Oswald's hands in return. "I know you will. But in the mean time, you needn't worry. Ill be okay in here. I practically run the place." He let out a short, but honest laugh. 

This comforted Oswald slightly, but he still hated the idea of the love of his life stuck in the hellhole he was so painfully familiar with. He smiled back. They looked each other in the eyes, not saying anything, not needing to. 

Until, suddenly, they both jumped at the sound of buzzing from a loudspeeker up on the ceiling. The a loud voice came out, announcing that their time was almost up. 

Oswald's eyes snapped back to Ed. "I'll come and visit you. All the time." They both nodded and smiled. Tears welling up in Oswald's eyes. As one of them rolled down his cheek, Ed reached up to wipe it away with the pad of his thumb. 

"I love you." He said simply, looking reassuringly in the other's eyes. More tears fell. "Still?" Oswald asked. "Always." Ed replied. He leaned in, but halted right in front of Oswald's tear-stained face. "Is it alright if I kiss you?" Ed asked. "I don't care if they see." 

Oswald realised he didn't need to think about it. He wasn't sure how he felt knowing people might be watching. But even if every person in Gotham was standing in that room, it wouldn't have stopped him from kissing Ed right now.

"Me neither." He whispered. Ed closed the gap between them and wasted no time on chasteness. The kiss was deep, and pure. He could feel Oswald's tears on his face as he held his face in his hands. 

Before they knew it, they were separated. A guard had walked in without either of them noticing and was pulling Ed back by his uniform. "That's enough of that." He said in a gruff voice. Oswald watched hopelessly as Ed left his sight. "See you soon!" He yelled from the hallway. Oswald laughed at that, and stood up. He left the room when he stopped hearing footsteps. 

The girl at reception straightened in her chair as she saw him approaching. She said something, but he didn't listen. He walked directly towards the door, not saying anything. Oswald stepped out into the cold and wet, more determined than ever.

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End file.
